Ad Disclosure
TJ Finley shares his thoughts ahead of first Iron Bowl appearance
By Jake Rill
Published:
TJ Finley is getting the opportunity to end the 2021 season as Auburn’s starting quarterback. Bo Nix is out following ankle surgery, so Finley is now leading the Tigers’ offense.
That also means that Finley will get to play in his first Iron Bowl. Auburn concludes the regular season with a home matchup against rival Alabama on Saturday. And even though the Tigers have been struggling of late, this is always a huge game for them and their fans.
On Tuesday, Finley shared his thoughts heading into this week’s big rivalry matchup.
“Before I got here, I knew nothing about the Iron Bowl. … They said as soon as I’m going to be out there, I’m going to be nervous,” Finley told reporters, including Jordan Hill of the Opelika-Auburn News. “… But I’m calm and steady. I try to rise to the occasion.”
Finley, who transferred after 1 season at LSU, hasn’t gotten a ton of playing time in his debut season at Auburn, having mostly served as Nix’s backup. But he started last week’s loss at South Carolina and went 17-for-32 for 188 yards and 1 touchdown.
Now, Finley will look to help Auburn snap its 3-game losing streak. The Tigers have won the previous 2 Iron Bowls that have taken place on their home field, so they’ll be trying to take down the Crimson Tide there again.
Auburn and Alabama are set to kick off on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.
